Now Announcing: Summit Barrel Buster at Muddy Waters
Now Announcing: Summit Barrel Buster at Muddy Waters
4 p.m., Thursday, September 20, 2018
Sup? We have news.
Summit Brewing Co. is trekking over to Minneapolis on Thursday, Sept. 20, to take over Muddy Waters Bar & Eatery’s Tap Tower for a barrel-aged blowout of epic proportions. Featuring four barrel-aged beers from the Summit cellar, plus ten more brewery-fresh Summit beers, we’re calling this little shindig the Summit Barrel Buster at Muddy Waters.
That’s fourteen Summit beers all in one place, never before available together!
So, join us as we break all the rules regarding ABV and bust Untappd for the night. (Sorry not sorry, with fourteen beers to check-in, you’re probably gonna get confused and fall behind. So just enjoy the beer, then!)
Wanna know the lineup???
Summit Cranky Woodsman, aged in Rye Whiskey barrels
Summit Unchained #26: Westie 7th, aged in Jamaican rum barrels
Summit Banjaxed, aged in Rye Whiskey barrels
Summit Badge Chaser Ale, aged in Rye Whiskey barrels
Summit Extra Pale Ale
Summit Saga IPA
Summit Dakota Soul
Summit Skip Rock
Summit Oatmeal Stout
Summit Great Northern Porter
Summit Oktoberfest
Summit Keller Pils
Summit Union Series 6: Imperial Russian Stout
Summit Helles Ya, You Betcha!
Like we said, 14 total Summit beers.
Now, you may have tasted one or two of these at the Summit Ratskeller in the past, or maybe even at St. Paul’s Dark Horse Bar & Eatery — we like those guys. But we must reiterate that you’ve never tasted them all at the same time in the same place. And BONUS you’ve never tasted the Barrel-Aged Cranky Woodsman before. Because it’s brand new.
(The social media intern writing this blog hasn’t even tasted it yet, which is unfair as heck.)
Bottom line, this is basically a damn festival, so go get your tickets. JK, you don’t need tickets. You just need to show up at 4 p.m. at Muddy Waters with your friends, family, and a few kind strangers. Come thirsty and hungry, and make sure to feed the meter periodically.
Descriptions of Beers
Summit Cranky Woodsman Aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels: BRAND NEW! 5.48% ABV, 30 IBU. A Nut Brown Ale featuring rich, roasted flavors and aromas, Summit Cranky Woodsman is brewed with an incredible, complex malt bill including smoked oat malt and puffed wild rice, plus a light dash of maple syrup. Lacey barley from Alexandria, MN provides the foundation for a rich mahogany-colored beer with notes of toast, graham cracker and smoke, while Cascade hops from Mighty Axe Farms offer a hint of spice and citrus to complement a slight maple sweetness. Second-use rye whiskey barrels from Heaven Hills provide additional notes of whiskey, oak, smoke, toffee, caramel, vanilla and molasses, all without spiking the ABV sky-high and ensuring the beer comes through warm and cozy as a campfire.
Summit Unchained 26 Westie 7th Aged in Jamaican Rum Barrels: 9.9% ABV, 25 IBU. With rich notes of dark fruit, dark caramel, and — lucky us — rum, Summit Unchained 26: Westie 7th features a complex blend of specialty malts, subtle, noble-type hops, and dark Belgian candi syrup. Finished with a Trappist-Style Ale yeast and aged for 120 days in Jamaican rum barrels.
Summit Banjaxed Aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels: 8.7% ABV, 38 IBU. Summit Banjaxed Irish-Style Ale combines a blend of pale and caramel malts with U.S. and New Zealand hops to create a full and balanced beer with aromas of caramel, stone fruit and blackcurrants. This limited batch was aged in rye whiskey barrels for notes of caramel, stone fruit, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, spicy rye and black cherries.
Summit Barrel-Aged Badge Chaser: 8.5% ABV, 40 IBU. Delicately hopped with US and UK varieties and featuring a complex malt bill, Summit Barrel-Aged Badge Chaser is a decidedly malt-forward Brown Ale with balanced bitterness and refreshing drinkability. Aged in rye whiskey barrels for 120 days, the beer offers bready, toasted malt flavor with hints of caramel, dark fruit, chocolate, maybe a little espresso, and a dash of hop spice. From the barrel, you can expect some additional notes of brown sugar and toffee, vanilla, and spicy rye.
Why We’re Playing With Liquor Barrels
“Summit has its roots in traditional German lagers and British ales, and throughout history these beers were traditionally finished in wood barrels,” says Head Brewer Damian McConn.
“Stainless steel is a relatively new material, considering the long history of brewing. Getting into wood takes us back to the traditional roots of the brewers before us, and we can do it slowly and carefully while we focus on quality and flavor.”
The Partnership
Working with Dark Horse Bar & Eatery, and now Muddy Waters — they share a very talented, good-looking ownership team — represents a great opportunity to partner with an established retailer to push interesting flavors in food and drink. “There’s a strong local connection there,” says McConn, “and Paddy [Whelan, owner of Dark Horse and Muddy Waters] is a strong supporter of Summit. He’s working hard to carve out a reputation for creativity and quality, and we’re happy to be part of it.”
